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Women's National Squad Roster

U.S. Field Hockey Names 2000 Women’s National Squad

The U.S. Field Hockey Association has announced its selections to the 2000 U.S. Women’s National Squad following a week-long selection camp at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.

      The 22 members and four alternates on the squad represent the foundation for the 2000 Olympic Team pending the USA’s qualification to the Games at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, March 24-April 2, 2000 in Milton Keynes, England.  Head coach Tracey Belbin and the U.S. Team will need to place in the top five of the ten-team tournament to earn a spot in Sydney. If the U.S. qualifies, U.S. Field Hockey will select its 16-member Olympic Team, June 10-15, in Chula Vista.  Selections to the U.S. Olympic team are subject to approval by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).

      The 2000 squad features eight members from the 1996 Atlanta Olympic team including Tracey Fuchs (Ann Arbor, Mich.), Kris Fillat (San Diego, Calif.), Kelli James (Medford, N.J.), Antoinette Lucas (Richmond, Va.), Katie Kauffman (West Lawn, Pa.), Jill Reeve (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.), Andrea Wieland (Atlanta, Ga.) and Cindy Werley (Allentown, Pa.). The team placed fifth at the Olympic Games in Atlanta.

      Fuchs will try to become the first U.S. Field Hockey player to appear in three Olympic Games after previously competing in the 1988 and 1996 Games.

      The team also includes some of U.S. Field Hockey's newest stars including 1999 Pan American Games silver medalists Kate Barber (West Chester, Pa.), Chris DeBow (West Chester, Pa.), Mimi Smith (Virginia Beach, Va.), Eleanor Race (Atlanta, Ga.), Carla Tagliente (Cortland, NY), Jana Toepel (Perkiomenville, Pa.), Michelle Vizzuso (Fairfield, N.J.) and goalkeepers  Peggy Storrar (Mahopac, NY) and Jana Withrow (Hockessin, Del.).

      Tagliente (Univ. of Maryland), Toepel (Univ. of North Carolina) and Tracey Larson (Morrisville, Pa./Penn St.) earned first-team All-America honors during their collegiate seasons, while first-time national team selection Kristen McCann (Allentown, Pa.) earned third team All-America honors at North Carolina.

Rounding out the team, Tara Jelley (Greenfield, Mass.) returns to the squad after playing as a member of the U.S. National Team in 1998, while Coleen Kreiger (Trooper, Pa.) makes her first appearance on the National roster after previously playing for the U.S. Under-19 team in 1995.

      The four alternates to the team include the Univeristy of Delaware’s Rachel Barger (Springfield, Va.), Pan American Games team alternate Lisa Celluci (Broomall, Pa.) and All-America selections Amy Herz (Willow Grove, Pa./Univ. of Connecticut) and Jessica Coleman (Oceanport, NJ/Univ of Virginia).

      Belbin, who won an Olympic gold medal while playing with Australia in 1988, won’t waste any time in testing her new squad. Select members of the newly-named team will travel to Buenos Aires on Jan. 17 for a Four Nation Tournament with host Argentina and Olympic Qualifying Tournament foes, Spain and New Zealand. The team will also play a three-game series with Argentina before returning home for practices and games with Ireland and Canada at the Chula Vista Olympic Training Center in February.

      At the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in March, the US will play in Pool A with World Cup bronze medalist Germany, 1992 Olympic gold medalist Spain, India and Ireland. China, Great Britain, Japan, New Zealand and Russia will comprise Pool B.

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